After washing out the grit and grime like we did for the rear housing we disassembled the carrier and found a cracked spherical thrust washer for the one spider gear. Turns out it's only available in a $90.00 spider gear rebuild kit. The spider gear shaft also had excessive wear. We took apart the 3:07 gear set that came with this housing and found good parts like the shaft, washers and spider gears so those were
substituted. We didn't have the luxury of having the pinion shims with this set so it was hit and miss without having a pinion depth set up tool, and couldn't find one to borrow. After spending a good part of a Sat. afternoon putting this carrier in and out and trying to get a good contact mark on the ring gear we walked away from it. Although I must admit Jeffrey was getting pretty quick at it. Sunday came and a new outlook, I stood
there alone while he was up at 4:30 at his job milking cows analyzing the situation and tried to come up with a method of finding the centerline of the axle tube, which is what is needed to set up the nose of the pinion. It dawned on me that if I measured with my dial calipers from the gasket surface down to the top of the carrier bearing race, then removing the carrier and measured the diameter of the race, divide in half then add that to my first measurement I would know where that centerline was in relation to the gasket surface. From that point I added the 2.625 (the standard measurement for a Dana 44 from the axle centerline to the pinion nose) I would have a number from the gasket surface to the pinion nose. Now the markings on our pinion was "0" so I didn't have to add or subtract any amount from that 2.625. I found that the pinion was .015 too low which means I had to add a .015 shim. Did that and got a good measurement and put the carrier back in, adjusted my side to side of the ring gear to get my required .008 to .010 backlash, painted up the ring gear for a marking and was rewarded with a good contact mark. Hey that wasn't that bad, wish I would have thought of that on Sat. Makes ya
realize that walking away can be a good thing. Now all that was left to do was disassemble one more time, put the proper pinion bearing preload shims in to get the required 15 inch pounds of torque, yeah that's right inch pounds not foot pounds. If you don't have an inch pound torque wrench 15 inch pounds equates to 1.25 foot pounds, 1 inch pound = .0833333 foot pounds. Just multiply 15 by .0833333. Installed the oil slinger, seal, yoke and a fresh washer and nut. Then added a .003 shim to each side of the carrier
bearings for preload, spread the housing with my home made spreader and drop in the carrier, torque down the carrier bearing caps and take some final indicator readings. This can be a very time consuming endevor, we got by with minimal tools but can see why a professional charges what they do. They earn every penny. And who knows I might be talking out my butt and find out 1000 miles down the road that it would have payed to have it professionally done. Time will tell. Next post maybe we'll have this thing on all fours.